Ward praises 'phenomenal' Benante

Estranged Sabbath drummer hails Anthrax ace as one of the most important sticksmen in metal

Bill Ward has hailed Anthrax's Charlie Benante as one of the most important drummers in the history of metal.

The estranged Black Sabbath sticksman turned the spotlight on Benante on his Rock 50 radio show, praising him for his bass pedal technique and how he paces himself on stage.

Ward says: "Those of you who have watched Charlie play, his bass drum work is phenomenal. He hits hard. He gets in the ring, he fights.

"I can appreciate when he talks about, 'Don't use up all your gas in the first song.' You've gotta take your time, you've gotta breath. He likes to pace himself.

"Anthrax – a great metal band with a great metal drummer. Versatile, original, passionate. Very important to metal. You can hear the passion, you can hear the strength. It's a quality, an attribute of a human being."